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Victim Support Center

You were scammed. Here is what to do next.

Practical, jurisdiction-neutral checklists for the most common scam categories. This is not legal advice — for anything serious, talk to a lawyer or your local cybercrime authority.

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Job & recruitment scams

Fake recruiters, ghost roles, offers that demand upfront payment, or 'training fees' before a job that never materialises.

Watch out for
  • • Never pay for a job, training kit, equipment or background check.
  • • A legitimate employer will not ask for bank credentials or your government ID over chat.
  • • Domains that imitate large companies (gmail.com instead of @company.com) are red flags.
Next steps
  1. Stop paying and stop communicating. Do not delete the chats — you will need them.
  2. Screenshot every message, offer letter, payment request and profile.
  3. If you sent money, contact your bank and ask for a fraud reversal within 24 hours.
  4. File a report on this platform with the offer letter and payment proof attached.
  5. If your government issues fraud reports (FTC, Action Fraud, Cyber Crime portal), file there too.

Payment fraud & wire scams

Money sent to a fake invoice, wallet, UPI or wire that was diverted or impersonated.

Watch out for
  • • Banks can sometimes recall a wire within hours — speed matters.
  • • Crypto wallets are usually irreversible; report to the exchange anyway.
Next steps
  1. Call your bank's fraud line immediately and request a recall/chargeback.
  2. Keep the transaction reference, the recipient name and the destination account.
  3. File a police report — many banks require one before refunding.
  4. Submit a report here so other victims can find the same beneficiary account.

Identity theft & document misuse

Your ID, passport, payslip or selfie is being used to open accounts or apply for jobs.

Watch out for
  • • Do not share fresh ID photos with the same channel that leaked them.
  • • Assume any account using your ID may also use your phone number — secure your SIM.
Next steps
  1. Freeze your credit reports if your country supports it.
  2. Reset passwords on email, banking and government portals; enable 2FA.
  3. File a police report; many providers will only act on a complaint number.
  4. Report the scammer here so the misused documents can be flagged.

Fake investment & trading platforms

Apps promising guaranteed returns, 'mentor' accounts, or withdrawals blocked behind extra fees.

Watch out for
  • • Any 'withdrawal tax' or 'unlock fee' is a recovery scam — do not pay it.
  • • Screenshots of profits inside the app are not real balances.
Next steps
  1. Stop depositing. Do not pay any release fee, however small.
  2. Export your deposit history from your bank/exchange.
  3. Report to your securities regulator (SEC, FCA, SEBI, etc.).
  4. File a report here with the app name, domain and wallet addresses.

Romance & relationship scams

Someone you only know online asks for money, gift cards or crypto, often citing emergencies.

Watch out for
  • • Refusal to video-call live is a near-certain sign of fraud.
  • • Borrowed photos can be reverse-image-searched in seconds.
Next steps
  1. Stop sending money. Do not announce that you know — they may try to extort.
  2. Save the profile URL, photos and chat history before blocking.
  3. Report the profile to the platform (dating app / social network).
  4. File a report here so other potential victims can find the same profile.

Phishing emails, SMS & calls

Messages pretending to be your bank, courier, tax office or employer asking you to click a link or share an OTP.

Watch out for
  • • Never share an OTP. Real institutions do not ask for it.
  • • Hover over links before clicking — look at the actual domain.
Next steps
  1. Do not click. Forward the message to your bank's phishing inbox.
  2. If you clicked and entered credentials, change that password everywhere it was reused.
  3. Run a scan on the device; revoke any active sessions on the account.
  4. Report the sender domain or number here so others searching will find it.

Fake agencies & recruiters

Agencies that collect resumes, fees or documents under the promise of overseas jobs that never appear.

Watch out for
  • • Licenced overseas-recruitment agencies are publicly listed by most governments — verify the licence number.
  • • An office address alone does not mean an agency is legitimate.
Next steps
  1. Stop paying. Ask for the licence number in writing.
  2. Check the licence on your country's labour-ministry register.
  3. File a report with the labour ministry and consumer protection.
  4. Submit a report here so future jobseekers see the warning.

Sextortion, blackmail & threats

Someone is threatening to publish photos, videos or private information unless you pay.

Watch out for
  • • Paying almost never stops the demands — it usually escalates them.
  • • Do not delete the chats; you need them for the police report.
Next steps
  1. Stop paying. Stop replying.
  2. Screenshot all threats, profiles and payment demands.
  3. Report to local police (cybercrime cell) — most jurisdictions treat this as a serious offence.
  4. Report the account to the hosting platform; submit a report here so others searching find the same profile.
  5. If you are in distress, contact a local helpline — your safety comes first.

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